Poetry Billy Collins Analysis

1) The title of this poem is unusual in that it is much longer than the average length of a title in poetry. The title also isn’t stylised in any way (though it could be argued that that deliberate decision is stylising the title) and doesn’t contain any form of punctuation. It also not only sets the scene (“To the doctor who treated the raped baby”) but also elaborated on the nature of its subject (“… and who felt such despair”) . Titles are the first thing that the reader sees, as such it is important for a title to tell the reader what to expect from the poem. In this regard the title of the poem is an extremely effective as it sets the tone for the entire poem, which I think, is strangely formal in the way it addresses the subject. Intriguing